Police cracking down on speeders in construction zone

Outbound Squirrel Hill Tunnel closing this weekend

PennDot plans to close the outbound Squirrel Hill Tunnels starting at 11:00 Friday evening. The closure is scheduled to last until Monday morning. It is part of an ongoing overhaul of both the inbound and outbound lanes of the tunnels.

Since the project started, PennDOT noticed drivers speeding through the construction zone. PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi says the worst offenders seem to be in the overnight hours during the work week, when the tunnels are often reduced to one lane in each direction. Workers inside the tunnels during that time are put at serious risk by speeders.

"Think about the narrowness of the tunnel, you have it down to a single lane, and you have workers right there, next to traffic," Struzzi said. "And people are simply not slowing down as they go through those work zones.”

Struzzi said more Pennsylvania State Police troopers have been dispatched to patrol the Parkway East corridor near the Squirrel Hill Tunnels. Since Jan. 1, police have issued 131 citations to drivers, 15 written warnings, and arrested 10 suspected drunken drivers.

Struzzi hopes drivers get the message that "there are men and women working in there whose lives depend on the work that they’re doing and really, if you’re going through the tunnel at a high rate of speed, then you’re putting everyone at risk.”

Police want Parkway East drivers to prepare for that full closure of the outbound lanes this weekend.

“I mean let’s face it, it’s going to be a backup," said State Police Trooper Robin Mungo. "So, you need to give yourself at least an extra hour to get to where you’re going. That’s the bottom line.”